'Only a fool would let their enemy educate their children.' - Malcolm X

Thursday, April 29, 2010

Seven States Contemplate Anti-Illegal Immigrant Legislation

Only seven??

During the Bush administration, the flaccid chief of Homeland Security, Michael Chertoff, couldn't bring himself to say "illegal immigrant," and Bush couldn't bring himself to defend our southern border. The pundits of 2008 proclaimed that my vote for McCain would get us 4 more years of Bush, and they were right. Obama's not defending our southern border, either.

U.S. citizens and their state governments are fed up (see Border Disorder).

Here's a list of who is doing what:

STATE

BILL

STATUS

Utah

Require immigrants to carry proof of status, require law enforcement officers to question anyone they believe is in the country illegally, and target employers who hire or transport undocumented immigrants.

Legislation still has to be drafted, but Rep. Stephen Sandstorm (R) claims he “has the support to do it.”

Today, Colorado gubernatorial candidate Scott McInnis (R) said that if he were governor, he would seek to pass something “very similar” to what Arizona enacted.

Tentatively pending McInnis’ election.

Maryland

State Delegate Pat McDonough (R) “plans to start sending a survey to every candidate for the General Assembly — along with the candidates for governor — asking them whether they agree with Arizona’s approach.”

McDounough’s survey will start being circulated this week as he hopes to “know who is in favor of the Arizona bill and who is not” by this summer.

The same groups also concede that such legislation wouldn’t “get far” in their state.

Texas

Republican state Rep. Debbie Riddle of Tomball says she plans to push for a law similar to Arizona’s.

Riddle says she will introduce the measure in the January legislative session.

Texas

Farmers Branch, a Dallas suburb of 30,000 people, passed an ordinance written by IRLI lawyer Kris Kobach which would prevent landlords from renting houses or apartments to undocumented immigrants.

Last month, a U.S. District judge ruled the ordinance unconstitutional. IRLI is helping Farmers Branch repeal the District judge decision.

Missouri

The state legislature is considering a law, likely written by Kobach, that would make it unlawful for any person to conceal, harbor, transport, or shelter “illegal aliens” and would also make it a crime for undocumented immigrants to transport themselves.

The bill has been referred to the Missouri House International Trade and Immigration Committee.

Oklahoma

Restrict the ability of undocumented immigrants to obtain IDs or public assistance, give police authority to check the status of anyone arrested, and make it a felony to knowingly provide shelter, transportation or employment to the undocumented.

After IRLI filed an amicus brief in the Tenth Circuit Court of Appeals in support of HB 1804, the court refused to reconsider its decision that prohibits Oklahoma from enforcing two of the main parts of HB 1804.

Nebraska

Residents in Fremont Nebraska likely will vote in July on a proposed ordinance to ban the “harboring,” hiring and renting to undocumented immigrants.

Last Friday, the Nebraska Supreme Court upheld a lower court’s ruling that there was no authority to stop an election on the ordinance following a petition filed by Kobach.

I lifted this info wholesale from our friends at the oddly named "Think Progress," so I salute them for it.

Although, it seems they are rather upset with the newly enacted "draconian" Arizona law, and dread the prospect of copy-cat laws from other states. Our friends at the oddly named "Think Progress" also reference some knee jerk bigotry from the Southern Poverty Law Center which designates those who oppose illegal immigration as being members of a "nativist-extremist hate group." Huh?

Yet, I don't detect any outrage at President Obama or the federal govt. since the new Arizona anti-illegal immigration law simply mirrors already existing federal law.

That's easy to explain. Their vote for Obama got them 4 more years of Bush.